EDITORIAL

It has been a rough road since May 3, 1999.

It was the day, now forever etched in Costa Mesa history, when Steven

Allen Abrams steered his Cadillac onto a preschool playground, killing

two children and injuring many others.

The impact of the incident on the community is still felt in the heavy

hearts of those who remember the scene and the shudders of those who

followed the trial.

With a murder conviction against Abrams, and the jury’s recommendation

that Abrams spend the rest of his life behind bars, there is a collective

sigh of relief.

Some wanted the killer to get the death penalty. Others want him to

live for years, haunted by the sweet, innocence of his victims Sierra

Soto, 4, and Brandon Wiener, 3.

But regardless of the sentence -- which will be formally handed down

by the judge next month -- the end of the trial signals the beginning of

the healing process.

For friends and family of Sierra and Brandon, the future can now

begin.

Their mothers, Cindy Soto and Pam Wiener, have taken steps toward

tomorrow. They are memorializing their beloved children by trying to

ensure the safety of others. Through Sierra’s Light Foundation, they have

been raising funds to build fences around day-care centers.

Now, Soto and Wiener are prepared to lobby for state legislation,

based on Kendra’s Law in New York, that would work to keep mentally ill

patients like Abrams from ever becoming killers.

The two mothers have dedicated their lives to protecting children.

Their love, not only for Sierra and Brandon, but for all youngsters,

is ever-expanding. Their strength is irrepressible.

And the road ahead of them is by no means an easy one. But they will

walk it with the support and admiration of the community.